


Want You to Want Me

by ALittleDoodleBug



Series: They Were Neighbors [4]
Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Alternate Universe - Stripper/Exotic Dancer, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, Mutual Pining, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-30
Updated: 2019-02-20
Packaged: 2019-05-16 01:17:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14801604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ALittleDoodleBug/pseuds/ALittleDoodleBug
Summary: Companion piece to Come Together (Right Now) by ZephyrOnTheWindJust when you thought they couldn't get more dense about the other's feelings





	1. 10.5 - Wanna Dance

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place after Chapter 10 New Years' Shenanigans

"Dragon! We're home!"

You follow Julian into his apartment, the two of you immediately assaulted by a screaming black ball of fluff. Julian huffs and moves to the kitchen to fill Dragon's food bowl. She's quick to follow him, while you giggle and join him in the kitchen.

"Daddd, you were gone forever!! I'm gonna starve in seconds, feed meee!"

Julian looks at you questioningly, but from the slight upwards curl of his lips you can tell he's ready to laugh.

"What was that?"

"I'm translating! Right, Dragon?"

Dragon looks between the two of you and meows, more likely begging for food more but it's enough to send you and Julian into a giggle fit. He sets her food bowl down while you raid the fridge. You feel him rest his chin on the top of your head while you look, finally settling on leftover pizza.

While Julian is turned around getting the pizza out of the microwave, you scramble trying to lift yourself up onto the countertop. He looks over his shoulder and quirks an eyebrow, setting the warm plates down.

"Having trouble there?"

"I wanna be tall!"

He chuckles and moves closer, grabbing underneath your armpits and lifting you up to sit on the edge of the counter. His hands splay against the countertop near either side of your butt and he leans in, grinning smugly.

"Hate to say it, dear, but the counter can only do so much."

You pout and glare at him while he chuckles, and it doesn't take long before you huff and playfully shove his shoulder. For a long moment, the two of you just stare at each other, smiling and lost in a comfortable silence. You swear that he's staring at your lips for a moment, but you blame it on the alcohol and wishful thinking. Feeling silly, you stick out your tongue playfully and boop the tip of his nose. Julian seems to come to, his face starting to flush, and he offers you one of the plates of warm pizza.

Julian leans against the counter next to you while you kick your feet, the two of you talking and laughing about nothing around mouthfuls of food. You're munching on a slice thoughtfully when a question pops in your mind.

"Are lap dances fun?"

He quirks an eyebrow, looking amused.

"I mean it's for work, but yeah I think so."

"I wanna try."

Julian sputters, choking on air and flushing to the tips of his ears. He wants to protest, even though there's a part of him that desperately wants that sort of intimacy with you, but the look in your eyes and childish pout tell him you're stubbornly set on the idea. Julian sighs dramatically, shaking his head, and helps you down from the counter. He chuckles as the height difference between you goes back to normal and dodges your playful punch, walking off to set up.

~~~

Music blares throughout the apartment, probably loud enough for the neighbors down the hall to hear but neither of you care. You've been taking turns dancing to random songs from Julian's laptop. Whatever playlist you found was pure gold, because there's no commercials and it's played songs from all sorts of genres. So far the favorites of the night have been "Peacock" by Katy Perry, which Julian straight up owned while you laughed at the utter ridiculousness and his exaggerated hip movements, and "Go Tell it on the Mountain", which you attempted for less than a few seconds before falling into Julian's lap as the two of you curled into each other laughing hysterically. While it's obvious you don't really know what you're doing, you're having fun bouncing around and shaking your hips. Julian, on the other hand, absolutely does, reminding you of the night you met at the strip club and leaving your face flushed.

You land in Julian's lap as the song ends, feeling somewhat light-headed and laughing breathlessly as you lean back against his chest. Julian rests his chin on your shoulder and wraps his arms around your middle, holding you close while you catch your breath. The song fades out to the next, the slow, sensual rhythm hard to ignore and scorching your face in a wave of heat. You feel Julian's arms shift a bit tighter, almost possessive, and you get the feeling he's noticed too. Acting on a whim, you brace your hands against the chair and roll your hips in a small circle. You hear him try to muffle a noise and on the second roll his hands shift to grab at your hips, helping to guide your movements to the song's rhythm. On one particular roll, you become very aware of something hard beneath you, but it's only on the repeat that your drunk brain clicks what it is. Julian, meanwhile, is trying extremely hard not to moan. Maybe it's the alcohol or the heat suffusing your face mixed with exhaustion or the feeling of Julian pressed so close, but whatever the reason the room feels as though it's spinning around you. Your hips still and your fingers clench at the arms of the chair. Julian goes stiff behind you, shifting you a bit to see your face.

"Are you alright?"

"'M dizzy.."

Your words slur together slightly and you vaguely notice the worried look on his face. Julian picks you up, standing on shaky legs, and brings you to his bedroom. He lays you down gently on the side of the bed not occupied by Dragon (who's sleeping on her favorite pillow - Julian's, because it smells like him). You hear him leave the room while you close your eyes, caught up in how nice it feels to lay down. You sigh at the cool relief as he lays a wet rag across your forehead, the dizziness fading away steadily. You hear shuffling next to you and open your eyes, seeing Julian gathering a pillow and extra blanket in his arms. He turns around to check on you, relieved you look less flushed.

"Feeling better?"

"Mhm. Why're you leaving? How do I take care of you if I can't see you?"

He chuckles, noting that your cute childish pout is back. You're in no condition to take care of him tonight, but he's not going to argue with you over that.

"I'll just be on the couch tonight. I'll be fine. Besides, Dragon is taking up the other side. You don't wanna wake her up, do you?"

You falter slightly, shaking your head. Julian smiles and is one foot out his bedroom door when he hears you whine his name, drawing out the end. You're fumbling to sit up and follow him. He comes back to your side and gently pushes your shoulders, encouraging you to lay back down and sleep. You comply for a second, but as soon as he turns around you're up and wrapping your arms around his shoulders whining for him to stay. After a moment, Julian huffs, laying the pillow back and putting the extra blanket on the floor to deal with in the morning.

You scooch over under the covers to let him in, but you can't go far without edging into Dragon's space. He slides into the space next to you and notes how little distance there is between the two of you. You're laying on your side watching him while he shifts the same way, trying to give you more room. The effort seems to go to waste, however, as you curl in closer, hands balled near his chest. Julian can't help the smile on his face and wraps an arm around your waist, thankful the dark can hide his blush. After a moment of getting comfortable he goes back to watching you, noticing you peering back at him. The distance between you slowly closes and you share one small, sweet kiss before you drift off. Julian melts, curling the tiniest bit closer before nodding off as well.


	2. 13.5 - Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place during Chapter 13 Be Mine

"Julian..."

Julian suppresses a groan as your voice cuts through the fog of sleep. He'd never been good at sleeping through the night, thanks to years of admittedly awful sleeping habits and insecurities, but he'd slept better recently during your movie night sleepovers. He blinks slowly, adjusting to the dim light of your living room, and his face flushes.

Instead of being curled along his side as you usually were, you hover over him, hands splayed on his chest for leverage and lips crooked into a smile that reminds him of Dragon eyeing a can of opened wet food. Julian averts his eyes, seeking solace in the darkness and trying desperately not to focus on your oversized sleep shirt (the one with a worn out neck that falls so low it should be illegal) or the feeling of your stomach pressed firmly against his. And definitely not on the feeling of your thighs straddling his lap.

He hears you laugh lightly under your breath before he feels a slow trail of kisses from his temple down his jawline. Julian squirms under the attention, forcing his mind's focus on the movie's menu screen and not on how your lips languidly curl into a smile with each press against his skin. You'd be a bit disappointed if it weren't for the rush of breath through his nose and the half-strangled groans caught behind clenched teeth. You stop at the corner of his lips, pressing there once before leaning back slightly. A giggle escapes you at the sight of his disheveled curls and the bright blush burning on his cheeks. He meets your gaze after a moment, determination fizzling at the sight of your smile and the notion that his feelings might not be so unrequited. He presses his forehead against yours and gives a lopsided grin before closing the gap between you. You sigh into the kiss, fingers curling into the hair at the nape of his neck, while his hands press against the curve of your waist and your cheek, pulling you close. Julian swoons as you lean into his touch, heart hammering in his chest and getting caught up in the feelings he'd suppressed since that first sight of you across the hall. Since that first not-at-all flirtatious conversation at the strip club and that first "date" at the garden (bless Portia). Since that first kiss at New Years.

Caught up in the whirlwind of memories and feelings, a sound rips through his throat unobstructed. You pull back from the kiss, releasing his bottom lip from the nip that broke his reverie. Faces only an inch or so apart, his lips chase yours only to fall open as you switch to his neck. His Adam's apple bobs, swallowing thickly as you sooth each nip of teeth with reverent kisses. His head falls to the side, giving you further access to the pale expanse of his throat, and his hands slide down your sides to curl around your hips, thumbs brushing at the small strip of skin above your sleep pants. Your assault on his neck abruptly stops, leaving Julian's mind whirling, and you lean up to brush your lips against his ear while you tug his hands by the wrist to rest at his sides on the couch, inches from your legs.

"Hands to yourself, Doctor."

A low groan escapes him, eyes clenched shut and bottom lip caught between his teeth. His fingers itch to return to your warmth but instead dig into the fabric underneath them. Your hands slowly release his wrists and move to fan out across his chest, and Julian feels your lips stretch into a satisfied grin against his ear.

"Good boy."

Julian's mouth finds yours in a frenzy, kissing you passionately. You smile into the kiss, pressing into him and quickly rolling your hips against his, met with a loud groan muffled against your lips. He'd forgotten about that. Julian pulls back an inch, trying to glare but failing considering the stark flush coloring his cheeks and the childish pout on his kiss-swollen lips.

"You're unfair."

You smile innocently and press your forehead against his.

"Would you rather have me stop?"

"Fuck, don't please-"

As quickly as the kiss was broken, the gap is closed again and the two of you melt together, lost in the feeling. You roll your hips slowly, savoring the friction, and Julian grinds up to meet the pace you've set. You moan into the kiss at one particularly well-placed thrust, and Julian can't help the swell of satisfaction that fills his chest. You pull away and sit up completely, weight settling fully on top of his lap, and he props himself up on his elbows, one thick eyebrow raised and a smug grin curling his mouth.

"I never gave you your present, did I? Happy Valentine's Day, Julian."

Julian cocks his head slightly, eyebrows knitting together in confusion. Why would you want to give him a present? Valentine's Day is for lovers, and despite his (maybe-not-so) one-sided feelings towards you and everything that's just happened his mind whirls at the implications. Before he can ask though, his breath catches and his eyes widen as your hands move to the hem of your shirt and pull it teasingly slow up over your head. His face feels like it's scorching at the notion that the present he's receiving is you. It's hard to see in the dimly lit room, but the light from the tv screen is just enough for his breath to be stolen away. His hands move of their own accord to hover just a hair from your thighs, fingertips aching to caress the beautiful being before him. His eyes trail down your chest and abdomen, fascinated by the shadows cast across your skin and every unique mark that makes him swoon even harder for you. Julian sputters when his eyes catch on a small bit of shiny fabric edged in lace just above your waistband, mind (and heart) racing at the notion you're wearing something like _that_. He trails off, thoughts sprinting a mile a minute wondering when you'd bought them, how long had you been wearing them tonight planning this out, and stopping at the wonderful realization that you'd bought them thinking of him and _oh he can die a happy man_. 

You laugh at the dreamy look on Julian's face and lean down, pushing your chest against his and kissing him fervently, Julian pressing back eagerly. You shift to the side after a moment, trailing a hand down his torso and slipping underneath his sleep shirt, warmth seeping into his abdomen from your palm as you hike it up slightly. He groans loudly as your hand follows his happy trail toward his waistband, your fingers hesitating a moment - waiting for a sign to stop - then continuing underneath and wrapping around him. He moans lowly at the contact and his fingers grip insistently at your thighs. You break the kiss to mouth at his jaw and his eyes crack open, focusing blearily on your hand as you pull him from the confines of his boxers. Your fingers are wrapped around the thickest part of him, thumb stroking over the smooth yellow ski- wait what..? It has to be a trick of the light, but his dick is unmistakably yellow. Why is it _yellow_? And since when has it been this smooth?! Julian's mind reels at the realization just as he feels your lips brush against his ear.

"skA dA dD le SkA doO dl e YO uR dIc k is No w A nooD le~"

~~~~~~

Julian startles awake, his heart pounding. You're fast asleep curled against his side, half laying on top of him but otherwise in your usual spot. He pushes down the disappointment that builds in his chest that everything was a dream and scrubs a hand over his face, groaning lowly and focusing instead on how painfully hard he is. His eyes drift to your lips, tempted to kiss you awake and make even a fraction of that dream a reality but he rips his focus away to think of an escape plan.

It's slow going, and any amount of friction close enough makes his breath hiss through his teeth, but Julian finally manages to extract himself from you. The sudden lack of warmth, however, makes you whine softly in your sleep, hands reaching out toward him and Julian's heart aches at the sight. But the insistent dull throbbing forces his focus away and he spares one last glance at you before getting up to find his belongings. He's slinging his backpack over his shoulder when he hears you start to move and stretch, panic freezing him in place as you sleepily blink at him.

"What's up? Everything ok?"

He turns slightly to look at you, thankful that he'd made it close enough to the door that you can't see his _problem_ from your position on the couch. His fingers fumble with his apartment key as he races to think of an excuse.

"..Something came up. I need to head back to take care of it."

You rub at your eyes and sit up, the blanket falling around your lap and your sleep shirt hanging loosely off your shoulders.

"Do you need me to help with anything?"

The question is innocent, but internally he's screaming. His face flushes intensely as the dream replays in his mind. Julian forces a smile and his voice strains.

"...Nope I got it."

You nod, a small sleepy smile curling your lips as you wave goodbye. Julian melts and waves back, tiptoeing to the door and closing it softly before sprinting to his apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Julian, we tease him so much  
> So this idea came about late at night when Zephyr and I were joking around   
> I had to give the joke from New Years a reprise it was too good lol
> 
> Hope you enjoy :)


	3. 21.5 - Water We Waiting For

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place after Chapter 21, [Snuggle Buds](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14322747/chapters/34621875), of Come Together (Right Now)

"We asked for doubles, didn't we?"

"Maybe they misheard us?"

You flop unceremoniously onto the bed, landing on your stomach and letting out a long sigh as your muscles finally relax. It's been a long day and it's too much effort to really bother when there's a perfectly good bed right here. Even if there's only one. One shoe falls in a heap next to your overnight bag as you slowly toe off the other, too tired to bother getting up to do it properly. When the shoe stubbornly refuses to come off, you huff, getting ready to sit up, before there's a light touch to your ankle. The shoe comes off with a gentle tug and falls to join the other. The space close to you dips and there's a groan of relief as Julian lays back. The quiet spreads over you like a comfortable blanket, and your eyes slip shut in bliss. After a moment, you feel his fingers card through your hair, gently scratching at your scalp, and you melt, humming contentedly. You tilt your head slightly to peek at him, only to find Julian laying on his side watching you. His eyes are tired but his smile is relaxed and utterly content and you can't help but smile back, warmth spreading throughout your chest.

The mattress shifts again as you roll on your side to face him, pushing your head just the tiniest bit more into his hand. The movement brings him out of his thoughts, along with the realization of what he's been doing. His expression turns sheepish and he slowly pulls his fingers away from your hair, trailing gently along the strands and curling around the ends. The touch lingers for a beat longer, skimming the side of your face after brushing a strand behind your ear, before he pulls away completely. Fingers twitching, you resist the urge to pull him back.

"Ah, I- I should probably go shower. Unless, you'd rather go first!"

Julian's propped up on his elbows, staring decidedly ahead. Even in the dim lighting, you can just make out the slight flush high on his cheeks. However, you can almost see the exact moment an idea forms in his head when he turns to face you again. His signature smug grin is back and his eyes gleam mischievously.

"...Unless, however, you'd be interested in joining me?"

His eyebrows waggle and you exhale a laugh, amused by his antics. He's probably only teasing, but there's something in the way he looks at you that seems hopeful you'll accept. Something in the way his touch had lingered that hinted he'd wanted you to pull him back, if just for one more second.

Normally, you'd chase those thoughts away, blaming it on wishful thinking and reading too far into the details. But you're tired. Exhausted and tired of making up excuses. Tired of convincing yourself that all the play flirting that's saturated the interactions between the two of you has just been play, _pretend_. So you grin back.

"I'd love to."

His bravado fizzles, eyes wide and flush stark against his skin. He's struggling to form a response. You roll onto your back and sit up, scooting off the bed. You're about to head toward the bathroom when he catches your wrist, spinning you partially back to face him.

"You know, you don't have to if you'd rather not... I can just wait in here while you-"

His words trail off. You're not backing down. He sighs, staring at you determinately. 

"You're sure you're alright with this?"

His voice is serious, but you can make out a wavering edge of nerves lingering in his tone. Not finding the words, you turn to him and tuck a tuft of hair behind his ear. His grip loosens and his hand falls away, landing in his lap. Your touch lingers, thumb brushing the side of his face as you nod slightly and give him an assuring smile. Hoping it'll help him get the hint, you pull your hand back and let it catch at the bottom edge of your shirt. His eyes widen a fraction more as you tug up, the fabric pulling away to reveal your bra. The shirt pools at your feet and you head for the bathroom, glancing over your shoulder and offering a playful grin as you call back to him.

"Well, aren't you coming?"

You fumble with the temperature controls in the bathroom, the door left wide open behind you. The rush of water from the faucet is loud in your ears as your nerves start to frazzle, hearing only silence from the other room. The sudden frantic stumbling footsteps in the other room, however, brings a comforting rush of relief. Turning around, you find Julian shifting from foot to foot in the doorway, arms bundling three big bottles you recognize from his horde of shower products. Your not-so stifled giggle brings his attention away from the apparently very interesting shower curtain rod.

"I thought we agreed to only pack the essentials?"

The tension lifts and Julian cracks a smile, his shoulders dropping. His arms curl tighter around the bottles as if he's trying to protect them with a look of mock betrayal on his face.

"These _are_ the essentials! Looks like mine don't just come from sleepless nights and coffee, you know."

"Could've fooled me."

Julian squawks in protest and you snort, any attempt at stifling the laughter forgotten. He joins in, chuckling warmly. Playful grin in place, you bump him with your hip and pull the bottles into your arms. Admittedly, on the inside you're slightly giddy about using his soaps - his smell had become rather comforting lately. Turning on your heel, you bend to place the bottles in their temporary home. When you straighten out, there's warmth along your back. His arms circle loosely around your waist and he buries his face into your neck. His breath fans out across your skin and you suppress a shiver.

"You're sure that you're comfortable with this? I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I made you do something you weren't okay with."

His voice feels small despite the close proximity. It's heartbreaking to hear such a boisterous man like this, but it's also comforting that he cares so much about your wellbeing. You reach a hand up to his head, fingers petting through the messy curls, while the other smooths circles over his arm. His arms shift just the barest bit tighter.

"You're not forcing me to do anything, I promise. I meant what I said."

You wiggle in his hold and Julian pulls back, his arms loosening just enough for you to turn to face him. You press close and cup your hands to his cheeks, bringing his face down to rest his forehead against yours. His content smile makes your heartstrings pull, and without thinking you bite your lip slightly trying to stop from smiling so hard because why is this man so damn cute? His eyes draw down and his arms curl tighter around your waist, pulling you closer. He puffs a laugh.

"So should I initiate this or are we just go- mmph!"

The rest of Julian's sentence is forgotten as you close the distance. He kisses back almost immediately, eagerly. One of his hands trails up your back, leaving goosebumps in its wake. His thumb skims the band of your bra, skirting underneath the edges dangerously close to the clasp. The two of you press and pull closer until there's no space left, save for the few layers of clothes between you. Over your thrumming heartbeat, water streams loudly behind you. You pull away a fraction to breathe, the air thick with steam. Ah, right.

"Julian.."

He hums against the corner of your mouth.

"If we want the water to be warm, we better get in soon."

The corners of his lips curl up, pressing once more against yours.

"If you're worried about getting cold, I know more than a few ways we can warm up."

You pull your hands away from his cheeks to slap at his chest playfully, lips curling to match his. 

"As nice as that sounds, I prefer warm showers much more."

"Ah, but cold showers aren't so bad once you get used to them."

Julian falters a second after the words roll off his tongue, his cheeks coloring slightly. Something in your brain clicks and your eyes gleam deviously, wanting to press the subject.

"Oh, is that so? Something you know from experience?"

The color deepens and he pulls back slightly. He's looking pointedly away, worrying his bottom lip with his teeth.

"...you've been on my mind quite a bit lately, what can I say?"

Oh. _Oh._ Your mind whirls at the implications, thoughts racing dizzyingly fast. If the mirror weren't fogged up, you're positive you'd see your reflection blushing so brightly it would match his hair. The movement of his fingers combing through your hair helps steady you. Julian's eyes scan over you, face full of worry. 

Despite your heart racing within your chest and the gravity behind those words, you're not scared. Nervous maybe about this whole turn of events and what it might do to your friendship with him. But even half naked in his arms, warmth fills your chest and a sense of security eases over you. Maybe some things have changed or will change. But it's still Julian, ever the same dramatic dork you've come to care for and fall for over the past couple of months. So you offer a smile as you stand up on your tiptoes, using his chest for some leverage and mumbling, "Come here, you", before pulling him into another kiss. Julian melts underneath your fingertips and sighs against your lips, tangling his fingers in your hair.

It isn't until your hands have slipped underneath his shirt, smoothing along the skin of his abdomen, that he undoes that clasp at your back. In the back of your mind you realize he'd been waiting for you to start the process, but you throw that thought to the side along with his shirt. Breaking the kiss to tug it over his head pulls a frustrated noise from your throat, but the feeling of his skin pressed flush against yours makes it more than worth the trouble. Your fingers fumble with his belt as his smooth down your arms, trailing goosebumps and pulling the fabric down by the straps to let it pool on the floor between you. You pull away from his lips to focus on his belt buckle, frustration building in your chest as it stubbornly refuses to come undone. Julian chuckles softly, kissing your forehead and curling his hands over yours to help. It finally comes undone and clacks against the floor, much to your utter relief as you ease against him again. His hands squeeze yours as you place a kiss against his chest as thanks.

Your hands falter halfway through reaching for his fly, instead catching at his hips. He nudges his forehead against yours and pulls you into a kiss, tracing gentle patterns across your arms. You hum contentedly against his lips. A pop of buttons. The quick slide of zippers. The smooth slide of hands trailing against newly exposed skin. Just two friends holding each other in the middle of the bathroom. Naked. Oh, wait. Might want to rethink that whole _just friends_ part... What would you call things between the two of you now? Ah, well, that's an issue for the morning. For now, you're happy to be lost in the thrum of your heartbeat and the warmth of this touch.

Julian extends his hand like a gentleman to help you into the shower. Of course he uses the touch as an excuse to press his lips against your knuckles, not that you mind. You step into the shower, breathing a sigh of relief that there's even any hot water left. For a moment, you're caught in the relaxing lull of warmth and the fatigue of the day. Julian steps in behind you, mumbling under his breath about showering in lava before relaxing against you and pressing a kiss to your hair. You turn, lazily wrapping your arms around his shoulders and smiling against his neck as his curl about your waist.

"I heard that. Just give it a second, you'll get used to it. And if not, I'll take responsibility for your new lobster aesthetic."

Julian laughs above you. The image is hard to get rid of, becoming more and more ridiculous as your imagination runs wild, and you press against his collarbone trying to muffle your laughter. The giggles gradually die down as your imagination starts to run with the situation at hand, and you pull back slightly to face him.

"Just please be careful and don't slip, okay? I'd rather not be responsible for telling Portia you cracked your head while making out in the shower." 

He laughs and waggles his eyebrows, hand splayed at your lower back.

"Not a bad way to go. Guess you'll have to hold on tight then. I've been told I'm very slippery."

You can't help but snort, curling into him, and his grin widens.

"Besides..."

He trails off for a moment, long enough for you to pull back enough to look at his face without your eyes crossing. Despite the playful smile, he almost looks...bashful?

"It wouldn't be the first time I've fallen for you."

If it weren't for the emotional short circuit you're having, you'd groan at the pun. Maybe the water is lava, your face feels way too hot. You tuck your head underneath his chin in an attempt to hide. 

"I never should've let us marathon all those cheesy Hallmark movies."

His chest rumbles underneath your fingertips as he laughs. The fingers combing through your hair ease you a bit, but the tension refuses to leave your body. Not yet. The tension in your chest pulls taut as you pull back again to face him, red staining your cheeks.

"Me too."

You pull him into the spray at the same moment, defusing the tension hanging between you. The water rains against his face and you can't help but laugh at the direct hit. He presses closer to get away from the spray, sputtering and taking a moment to push the wet curls away from his eyes. His devious look is back.

"Oh, you're on."

One twirl and deluge of water across your face later, the shower quickly devolves into chaos. The two of you fall into a giggle fit, splashing water at each other and blowing soap bubbles because you got distracted while grabbing his shampoo. Julian wins the competition for most ridiculous hairstyle held up by soap lather (let's face it, getting all of his hair to stand straight up into a mock mohawk was both a feat and a masterpiece). The competition is all fun and games however until you both get soap in your eyes and fight for the water spray (you win that round, feeling partially guilty though as Julian rubs furiously at his eyes with a towel). As an apology, you massage over his scalp with your fingers, moving to his shoulders when it gets too tiring to reach. It's hard not to melt as he relaxes against you and practically purrs in bliss. He pouts a bit when you grab a washcloth for the body wash, draping himself across your back and teasing you that using your hands would be much more _enjoyable_. The thought makes you flush and your heart hammers against your chest. You slap playfully at him in response.

"Next time."

(Even if the idea does sound tempting.)

The two of you take turns with the washcloth, caught in a comfortable silence mixed with the laughter (and maybe a small peck or two). You admire the light freckles dotted across his skin as they disappear underneath the soap bubbles. When it's his turn to wash your back, you lean back against his shoulder as he presses his lips to your hair and glides the washcloth gently across your skin. You break out of the comfortable trance with a garbled squeak when it dips just a bit too far down, meanwhile Julian snickers in your ear. Oh, two can play at that game. The sentiment from earlier doesn't stop you from teasing him in return later when you turn your back to him and bend at the waist to lather soap along your legs. The strangled sound he makes is definitely worth the twinge of embarrassment. The innocent smile you throw on as you straighten out quickly devolves into snickering. Turns out Julian's face can match his hair.

The water's running cold by the time the two of you decide it's time to get out. Julian offers his hand again to help you out. As you towel through your hair, you pay no mind as he steps out of the shower and starts toweling off as well. The thing that makes you pause, however, is the distinct lack of towels on the rack when you reach for another one to dry off the rest of the way. All that's left are tiny washcloths and the medium sized towel you used for your hair that would barely cover even as a skirt. You could've sworn you saw two big fluffy ones on the rack earlier.

"Hey, Julian? Weren't there a few more towels on the ra-"

So that's where they went. Julian's in the middle of toweling down with one while the other is wrapped around his hair. You ignore both the slight annoyance in your gut and the way his skin is flushed from the hot water. You shake your head of the two, only to immediately regret the action as your hair falls into your eyes. You know, sometimes chopping it all off doesn't sound so bad. You swipe your hands through the disheveled strands. Another time.

"Um, Julian?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I use one of those?"

"Sorry but I need them."

You shake the hair towel at him with a small pout. 

"This barely covers anything though!"

"And that's a problem because...?"

The phrase leaves his lips without missing a beat. He gives you an appreciative once-over with a toothy grin, following the flush as it spreads down from your cheeks to your chest and taking interest from there in the water droplets lazily cascading down. Your hands fumble with the towel, awkwardly trying to cover up for a small bit of modesty while heat prickles your skin. Despite the blush, the defiant pout doesn't leave your lips. Julian pads closer with a chuckle. With a flourish, he drapes the towel in his hands around your back, only to tug on both ends so that the gap between you closes completely.

"Is that better?"

You shake your head, letting your breath fan across his chest as you heave a dramatic sigh. You press your lips against the top of his sternum, wrapping your arms around his shoulders and looking up at him with a small smile.

"I guess this will suffice."

Juliann gathers you even closer. The two of you relax against one another, smiles tucked away against the other's skin. Even later when the two of you are finally ready to tuck in for bed and there's a full size bed to share, it's hard to sleep apart. You nuzzle against his head, smiling into his unruly curls, while he tucks his head underneath your chin, arms curling about your waist. 

"Night, Julian..."

"Goodnight, my dear."

A second bed would've gone to waste, anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO SORRY  
> So the story (both this one and Come Together (Right Now)) is not dead.  
> When we were making these new chapters we talked about posting them at the same time for fun and to make the moments hit harder? Something to that degree.  
> Problem is, I got a bad case of writer's block because over the summer my focus was on interning at a fancy chemistry lab far away from home for 10 weeks (let's just say I was tired and terrified and homesick). I kept coming back to the draft, trying to finish it, but it only came bits and pieces at a time. I really intended to get this out during the summer, I'm extremely sorry for the wait.
> 
> There's quite a bit I would like to tweak for this chapter to make it better, but it's at a point that I need to let it go and focus on the next one. I hope you enjoy what I have!! >u<


	4. Sometimes When We Touch (the Honesty’s Too Much)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter continues from chapter 3 (rather than the usual link to a chapter from Zephyr's. Sorry figured I should clarify.)

Even without opening your eyes, you can tell you’re somewhere unfamiliar and that it feels much too early for you to be awake. The mattress underneath you doesn’t fold the same way under your weight as your bed back home does, and it certainly doesn’t feel like you’re sleeping in Julian’s car again. However, the person curled up against you is certainly familiar, and a comforting warmth blooms in your chest. Chasing the last dregs of sleep, you cuddle further into Julian’s hold and nuzzle your head underneath his chin. His arms curl around your back as he sighs in his sleep and for a short while you join him in that blissful quiet haze, warm and perfectly content.

The next time you blearily rouse awake, it’s to the tinkling sound of your phone’s alarm somewhere behind you, although why you set an alarm this early in the morning you can’t really remember. Julian’s still tangled up in the sheets with you, however he moved to where his head is cushioned against your chest without somehow waking you up. The way his arms are curled around you, he almost looks like a child cuddling with their favorite plush toy – face content and free of its usual fatigued strain. Silently shaking your head and smiling, you try to maneuver the tiniest bit so you can find your phone and shut off the alarm, but Julian’s arms don’t budge. In fact, they curl the slightest bit tighter. You move again and Julian still clings, pulling you back into him. Brows furrowed slightly, you notice his breathing even out, almost as if he’s pretending…

“Julian, I can tell you’re awake.”

For a moment, you think it had just been a fluke. Maybe he had been asleep. You run a hand through his unruly curls, deciding to try once more.

“Juliannn…”

This time it’s unmistakable. The corners of his lips twitch upwards before he obnoxiously snores, more akin to an impression from a comedy sketch than anything realistic, and wraps his arms tightly around your waist. Laughter bubbles in your chest as you wiggle in his hold, playfully trying to shake him off, while Julian’s struggling to keep the grin off his face.

“Julian, oh my god, let go!”

You break away from his hold just long enough to swat at your phone, finally silencing the alarm, only to get wrestled back, quickly finding yourself laying on top of him. The two of you laugh breathlessly together, slowly calming down and relaxing back into the sheets.

“But you always tell me I need more sleep, and having you in my arms feels like an absolute dream~”

Heat prickles across your skin and you tuck your face into the crook of his neck to hide your blush. Julian chuckles and places a kiss against your head, hands gently squeezing your sides. You still for a moment, heart thumping wildly in your chest as your thoughts swirl at a dizzying pace. It’s hard to focus on just one thought as your mind quickly races through feelings; affection, nervousness, doubt, excitement, cycling over and over to the point your head feels like it could spin like a top. However, chancing a peek at Julian’s face and the look of pure affection alighting his features, your thoughts finally quiet. All that’s left are the feelings of affection, the desire to stay within his warm embrace and see that wonderful smile, the urge to move closer and kiss him for as long as you have breath. And without thinking, you do just that, pressing a kiss to the corner of his lips. Just as you pull back the slightest bit, Julian closes the distance once more. One kiss turns to another, then multiple, until the thought of “just one more” isn’t enough.

You sigh into the kiss as his hand smooths across your back, twirling your fingers into the curls at the base of his neck. His breath stutters as you pull at the strands, fingers gripping your waist and muffling a grunt against your lips. Your mind reels, unsure whether the sound was just out of surprise or if he actually enjoyed the feeling, only to find your answer as he whines lowly and squeezes encouragingly at your waist. You pull away from his lips, utterly breathless, and this time tug harder at a handful of curls. Julian’s head digs back into the pillow while his hands move to grip your hips, a pleased groan filling the air before he suddenly surges back to meld your lips with his. The kiss feels different than the relaxed, lazy morning kisses you had just exchanged, suddenly desperate and insistent like they had been in the shower the night before. You moan into the kiss, caught up in the pleasant thrum dancing throughout your skin, before you still as something hard brushes against your thigh. Julian pauses as well, pulling back reluctantly only to abashedly avert his eyes, worrying his bottom lip with his teeth.

“Fu- sorry, don’t worry about that. I can take care of it on m-mmph fuck-k!

Julian’s voice breaks, breath stuttering into a moan as you palm him through the thin fabric of his underwear. Despite the awkward positioning of your hand, you’re utterly drunk on his reaction. His eyes screw shut as his head digs back into the pillow, breath cut off in a low groan that flushes heat throughout your skin. Your eyes latch to his throat, entranced by the bob of his Adam’s apple, before another pleased sound from Julian fills your ears as you lay open-mouthed kisses against the column of his throat. Trailing up, you nip at the skin behind his ear just as your fingers attentively rub against the head through his boxers, pulling a whine from his lips as he eagerly presses back into your touch. Just as you think you have the upper hand, you muffle a moan against his neck as his fingers rub you through your underwear, sending electricity tingling up and down your spine and making you suddenly very aware of wetness between your thighs (and self-conscious of how much has soaked through). Your hips move on their own, grinding against his hand in a desperate search of friction while his do the same against your continued ministrations. If it weren’t for both of your hands sandwiched between your bodies, you’d be able to grind against each other with only fabric between the two of you (but honestly, his fingers against your core feel so good now you can’t think of telling him to stop just yet).

Catching sight of his pleasure-contorted expression, half-lidded eyes glazed over and flush bright against his pale skin, you surge forward to catch his lips in an open-mouthed kiss. Julian presses back eagerly. The hand that had been gripping your hip suddenly lets go, trailing lightly across your skin and making you shudder. His hand pauses for a moment at your belly, fingers fanned out wide and soaking warmth into your skin, before slowly pushing up towards your chest, pulling your loose-fitting sleep shirt up with it. You breathe out a pleased sigh against his lips as his fingers smooth across your chest, only for the sound to transition quickly into a desperate whine and then a surprised gasp as his fingers pull away from your core to gain leverage against the sheets. The position flips and your hair fans out across the pillow, while Julian stares down at you with a devious grin that makes you think of a cat who’s caught the canary. Any words you had on your tongue quickly tumble out in a garbled mess as his head angles down, trailing his lips down your throat towards your chest, where his fingers resume their teasing much to your delight. You whine at the loss of friction against your core, the previous occupants having left so he could brace himself over you, but the nip of teeth to the sensitive skin underneath your breast pulls your attention back. Your fingers latch tightly onto his hair as his tongue laves across the skin, tugging whenever the sensation rides high and leaving Julian groaning and bucking involuntarily against your thigh. His fingers tease and fondle your other breast, making your back arch off the bed to press your chest further into his touch, when a loud chime cuts through the pleasant haze.

Letting out a frustrated huff, you disentangle your hand from the crumpled bedsheets and reach for your phone, hurriedly swiping at it to get it to shut up. Julian pauses his ministrations, resting his chin against your sternum and gently smoothing his hand up and down your side. Your mind reels as the pleasure ebbs away, leaving an aching feeling of dissatisfaction in its wake, and you rack your brain trying to remember why you even set the alarm in the first place. It had to have been for something important, but why can’t you remember? Just as you’re ready to throw the phone down and continue, the memory comes crashing down. You quickly glance at the time. Oh fuck.

“Julian, we have to stop.”

Julian’s eyes widen, tension and worry sweeping across his face.

“Shit, did I go too far? Fu- I’m sorry. I didn’t mean t-!

You press a finger against his lips to stop him, moving it to card your fingers through his hair when he gets the message as you begrudgingly move to sit up on your elbows.

“It’s not that! Trust me, I really want to continue but we have to checkout of the room in 15 minutes and our stuff is everywhere.”

As your mind is racing a mile a minute, the words tumble out just as fast. Julian rolls off of you as you move to sit up fully, laying on his side and watching as your hurriedly scan about the room. Just as you go to move off the bed, Julian catches your wrist and tugs you to sit back down on the edge of the mattress, pulling your attention back. Your heartbeat thrums within your chest, taking in the still bright flush coloring his skin, the kiss ridden swell to his lips, the glazed over heat in his eyes, the heave of his chest, the undeniable tenting of his boxers. The hold he has on your wrist loosens, hand trailing down until it rests over yours and fingers curling just so slightly inwards. You can’t help but focus on the small swipe of his tongue over his lips before he opens his mouth to speak.

“Or we could just…stay here? What’s the worst that could happen if we steal the room for a little while longer?”

You certainly can’t say you aren’t tempted. You flush lightly, glancing at the desire mixed with hope in his eyes and then down at the hand curled over yours, pondering the idea of forgetting everything and continuing the fun. But as tempting as the idea is, you have to do what’s best given the circumstances.

“The worst that could happen is the owner tries to charge us for all the extra time and we don’t have enough to get home. We scrounged up to rent this room, remember?”

Julian’s face falls and his hand slackens over yours, getting ready to pull away. Before he can completely, you turn your hand and lace your fingers with his, watching as his eyes quickly dart back to your face. You offer up a small smile while your free hand nervously picks at the bedsheets.

“We could continue this another time…if you want to?”

Julian’s face splits into a grin, and he leans forward and presses a sweet kiss against your lips before pulling back and resting his forehead against yours.

“As long as you want it too, dear. Absolutely.”

Warmth fills your chest and you kiss him softly before pulling away, tugging on his hand to join you as you finally make it out of bed. Padding across the small room, you tug off your shirt to change into a fresh one and pull on a pair of shorts. Just as you pull the shirt over your head, you catch Julian glancing back over his shoulder at you, staring a long moment before his shoulders droop and he bends at the waist to grab his jeans from yesterday.

“You’re sure there’s nothing I can do to convince you?”

“Yep. I guess you’ll have to save your ideas for next time, Saucy Boi~”

His hand flies to his lower back, fingering over the raven and swirling script font of the tattoo embedded there while you stifle a laugh against the back of your hand. Julian straightens out, tugging his jeans up around his hips. His mouth is set in a straight line, and from the tension in his jaw and the strain to his voice it seems as though he’s willing himself to hold back.

“Don’t start something now, otherwise you’ll be paying that late fee for sure.”

You laugh, sending him a wink before turning around to pack up your belongings, snickering as Julian heaves a dramatic sigh behind you before going to do the same.

  
~~~

“Can you believe they have a disco ball?”  
  
Your eyes follow Julian’s finger up toward the ceiling where a glittering disco ball hangs, and the both of you share a quick glance before leaning into one another and breaking into a snickering fit. You snort a laugh and shakily point toward another one in the middle of the ceiling over the dining room, pulling a wheezing laugh out of Julian that makes his shoulders shake. Thankfully, the other patrons waiting in line haven’t spared the two of you much more than a glance before going back to their phones as they wait in line to order food. Even as your snickering trails off, the two of you remain close together while you wait in line.

Overhead, the radio station transitions into the beginning of another old pop hit, the melody bringing back a slew of fond memories. Your shoulders bop in time with the upbeat rhythm and you can’t help but mouth the lyrics. Stealing a glance at Julian, you find he’s doing the same. Smiling, you bump him with your hip, bringing his attention back only a moment before he’s smiling back and the two of you enthusiastically mouth out the lyrics as the song rolls into the chorus. Just as the song trails off and phases into the next, the person ahead of you in line finishes their order and the cashier ushers you both forward with a smile.   
  
“Hi, what would you like to order?”  
  
Julian gives you a small nudge forward and winks.  
  
“Get whatever you like, dear. I’m paying.”  
  
You give him a blank stare, your cheeks coloring lightly but otherwise unfazed. Your hand digs around in your bag for a second before pulling out your wallet.  
  
“Julian, you did this the last few times we ordered food. I’m not letting you pay.”  
  
His lips purse into a pout and one hand flies to his back pocket to fish out his wallet, obviously not willing to back down. He takes a step forward as his fingers fumble to get his card out, trying to step in front before you block him. You press back against his chest, playfully swatting away his outstretched hand with your own. Unable to help the smug grin playing on your lips, you hand off your card to the very bemused cashier. Julian scoffs. You look over your shoulder at him and bat your eyelashes, playing innocent.  
  
“Let me take care of you now since I couldn’t this morning. Now tell the nice lady what you want to eat.”  
  
Julian flushes at the honeyed lilt of your voice, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he visibly swallows. His hand finds your hip, hidden from the cashier’s line of sight by the high countertop, and squeezes gently. His attention turns to the cashier and you hear him order, however your attention is focused more on the warmth of his chest still pressed close against your back and his thumb stroking lazily above your hip. You faze back in to Julian clearing his throat, ignoring the chuckling in your ear as you order and pay. As the two of you walk away from the counter, Julian drops his hand back to his side. Your fingers fidget absentmindedly with the drink cup in hand, and you can’t help but miss his warm touch. As stupid as it is, it’s hard not to hate the space that has fallen between the two of you yet again.  
  
You settle into a booth by the window just as someone from the counter calls out your order, and Julian strides away before you can stumble out of the booth seat. A hush spreads behind the counter as Julian walks up, the workers quickly moving back to their workstations while trying to hide their excitement behind neutral customer service faces. Most of them, at least.  
  
“You guys are really cute together, you know.”

Julian startles for a second, cheeks flushing starkly at the girl’s playful comment and the glint in her eye. He fumbles with his hands for a moment before latching onto the counter to still them.   
  
“Oh we’re n-...never happier.”

“Been together for awhile?”

Julian looks toward your direction with a sidelong glance, relaxing the slightest bit before turning back to the girl with a small smile.

“Yeah, you could say that.”

The girl glances at her coworkers with a knowing grin before pushing the tray into Julian’s hands.

“Alright Romeo, then you better get this chicken back to your Juliet before it gets cold. Can’t stand here glancing wistfully at her all day.”

Julian puffs, blushing brightly to the tips of his ears and mouth stumbling to form a coherent response before quickly deflating. Ignoring the muffled giggling coming from behind the counter, he makes his way quickly back with the tray of food in hand and all but collapses into his side of the booth. You startle away from your phone, casting a confused glance over the table before pulling your plate of chicken off the tray and snagging a fry.

“…You okay there?”

Julian pulls his head up off where it’s resting on the top of the booth seat. His fringe falls over half his face, but even that doesn’t hide the intensely red flush staining his cheeks. Your face quickly changes from confusion to amusement.

“You know your face is about as red as this ketchup, right?”

Julian sputters and looks pointedly away.

“Shut up.”

You laugh for a moment before reaching across the booth to tuck his fringe behind his ear, bringing his attention back to you and giving him a warm smile. Your hand lingers, grazing along the side of his face. Julian’s eyes widen the slightest bit before he relaxes heavily, gazing back at you with a look of pure affection. Just as he’s about to lean in closer, you drop back into your seat and snag another fry, holding it out to him. Julian exhales a breath with a lopsided smile before leaning across the table and biting onto the fry, making direct eye contact the whole way with a devilish glint in his eye. He leans back in his seat, munching smugly as you flush, meanwhile across the restaurant the girl and her coworkers attempt (and fail) to muffle their laughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So hello again, turns out I'm not dead and haven't given up on this fic.  
> Sorry I really meant to get this out on Valentine's Day (though I really meant to get something out months ago >_>).  
> Senior year of college has been kicking my ass lately, so as soon as I post this I'll have to dig in and study the remaining shreds of my sanity away for the next few weeks.   
> But I promise once some of these tests are out of the way, I'll do my best to work on the various WIPs I have going for this fic!
> 
> Zephyr and I still have lots of ideas for this fic, so please don't think we've forgotten! Life just gets in the way, you know?

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first time writing fanfiction (let alone smut) but I hope you enjoy!! Please feel free to scream about Julian with me and Zephyr, we'd love the company


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